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'''Raj Ratna''' (also '''Raj Ratan''' or '''Rajya Ratna''';literally ''Gem of the [[:wikt:raj|Raj]]'') was a title of high honour, a [[civilian award]], which was prevalent in the [[princely state]]s of India during the [[British Raj]].<ref name="j"/><ref name="McClenaghan1996"/><br />
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==History==<br />
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''Raj Ratna'' awards were given by rulers of the mostly [[Hindu]] [[princely states]] of India to distinguished citizens of their kingdoms. The title was bestowed with a gold coin medallion.<ref name="a"/><ref name="j"/><ref name="kirtimandir"/><br />
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The second-highest civilian award was the [[Raj Bhushan]] (literally ''Ornament of the [[:wikt:raj|Raj]]''), which was given with a silver coin medallion.<ref name="a"/><br />
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The titles and awards of ''Raj Ratna'' and ''Raj Bhushan'' came to an end around 1949, with the amalgamation of almost all of the princely states into the [[Dominion of India]]. The highest civilian award in modern India is the [[Bharat Ratna]], followed by the [[Padma Vibhushan]], [[Padma Bhushan]], and [[Padma Shri]].<br />
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==Notable people awarded the title of Raj Ratna==<br />
[[File:Nanji Kalidas Mehta Marg - Junagadh - Gujarat - DSC0001.jpg|thumb|Raja Ratna Shri Nanji Kalidas Mehta Marg in [[Junagadh]], [[Gujarat]] mentioning title Raj Ratna in prefix on a road named after him.]]<br />
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*[[Nanji Kalidas Mehta]], [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|M.B.E.]] – awarded by [[Porbandar State]]<ref name="c"/><br />
* [[Dinshaw Ratanji Daboo]], member of the Baroda Legislative Council – awarded by [[Baroda State]], 1936<ref name="a"/><br />
* [[Jagannath Bhandari]], lawyer and [[Dewan]] of [[Idar State|Idar]] – awarded by [[Idar State]], 1933<ref name="j"/><ref name="WorldBio1948"/><br />
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== See also ==<br />
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* [[Navaratnas]]<br />
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== References ==<br />
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<references><br />
<ref name="a">{{cite book |title=The Indian Co-operative Review |volume=8 |year=1942 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z9c9AAAAYAAJ&q=raj+ratna |page=169 |quote=Rattanji Daboo, Dinshaw, Raj Ratna, B.A., Zamindar; b. 25th September, 1835; [...] Awarded 'Raj Bhusan' and a silver medal 1927; title of 'Raj Ratna' with a gold medal and 'Poshak' by the Baroda Government, 1936.}}</ref><br />
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<ref name="c">{{cite web |url=http://www.mehtagroup.com/founder_profile.html |title=Founder profile |quote=Nanjibhai was honoured during his lifetime by the British Government with the title of M.B.E. for his work in Uganda. His Highness Maharana Shri Natvarsinghji of Porbandar conferred on him the title of Raj Ratna. |website=mehtagroup.com |accessdate=2015-09-08}}</ref><br />
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<ref name="j">{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xacSAAAAIAAJ&q=Raj.Ratan |title=The Times of India Directory and Year Book Including Who's Who |publisher=Bennett, Coleman & Company |year=1945 |volume=32 |page=1065 |accessdate=2020-01-24}}</ref><br />
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<ref name="kirtimandir">{{cite web |url=http://www.kirtimandir.org/aboutkirtimandir.html |title=【お悩み】人工芝、継ぎ目がみえないように敷く方法がわかりません！ &#124; 人工芝の「困ったあるある」解決サイト！【シバシバパニック】 &#124; ...efforts of the late Maharaja of Porbandar, Shri Natavarsinhji, and Rajaratna Shri Manjibhai Kalidas Mehta and.. |publisher=kirtimandir.org |accessdate=2015-09-08 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103163201/http://www.kirtimandir.org/aboutkirtimandir.html |archivedate=2015-01-03}}</ref><br />
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<ref name="McClenaghan1996">{{cite book |author=Tony McClenaghan |title=Indian Princely Medals: A Record of the Orders, Decorations, and Medals of the Indian Princely States |date=1996 |publisher=Lancer Publishers |isbn=9781897829196 |pages=56 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YQdZlHJ2WTAC&pg=PA61 |accessdate=2017-08-23}}</ref><br />
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<ref name="WorldBio1948">Jagannath Bhandari...Resumed law practice, 1922; appointed Dewan of Idar State, 1931. Given title of Ral Bahadur by Government in June 1933, and Raj Ratna by the Maharaja Sahib Bahadur, August 1933. World biography, Volume 1, 1948</ref><br />
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[[Category:Civil awards and decorations of India]]<br />
[[Category:Awards disestablished in 1949]]<br />
[[Category:Titles in India]]<br />
[[Category:Orders, decorations, and medals of British India]]<br />
[[Category:Men's social titles]]<br />
[[Category:Cultural history of India]]<br />
[[Category:Honorifics]]<br />
[[Category:Prefixes]]</div>Advsunilnshah